Ferone: I believe we need to take innovative steps to help increase the economic development in our community. We need to ensure businesses are offered the right incentives to grow and prosper. I am in favor of increasing the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation, increasing low interest loans to small businesses, and increasing subsidized loans to students, which will create a more educated workforce and allow college graduates to stay on Long Island. Herald: If elected, what is one law you would like to change or enact that would directly affect your constituents?

Montesano: The first law I would change or enact would be a law instituting real mandate relief for our counties and municipalities. After the historic property-tax cap last year, we promised to take action to ease our localities of the burden of unfunded mandates. If re-elected, I would enact a three-year moratorium on unfunded mandates so our communities don’t receive further financial pressure from the state. Through this moratorium, any future state mandates have to come with state funding attached to it so counties aren’t left on the hook for more Albany projects. Then, I would take action to make sure the Governor’s Mandate Relief Council begins to eliminate unfunded mandates. Through these two steps, we can ensure that the property-tax cap can be maintained by Nassau County and our taxpayers do not see their taxes escalate further.

Ferone: If elected, one law that I would like to push for is the passing of the New York State Fair Pay Act, which would ensure wage equality regardless of gender, race or national origin. It’s immoral that in our today’s society women are still being paid less than men. This is the type of injustice that I will work to stop.

Herald: Why are you running for office and what makes you the best candidate?